Question: You say you spend time with lasers. What I would like to ask you is if you find them dangerous and if you would reccomend use of lasers in secondary schools.

Steven Daly answered on 14 Jun 2011:

The lasers I work with are extremely dangerous, I have to wear safety glasses at all times when they are open, because they are so powerful that were they to get in my eye they would blind me before I would even have time to blink. I also have to wear long sleeves at all times to make sure they do not hit my skin, as they can cause cancer. Having said that, if you are careful with them they are not at all dangerous, you just have to be aware all the time of where they are, and try to make it so you can’t get in their way by accident. So I would not recommend these for school use!

Lasers are given four classes depending on how dangerous they are. My lasers (we have three of them) are class 4, which is the most dangerous type. Class 1 lasers are like laser pointers, and are basically harmless unless you stare directly at one for a long period (something you should never ever do). Class 2 lasers are slightly more powerful, but you can shut your eyes fast enough that they will not blind you. I think that lasers in a cd player are class 2.

There isn’t really much you can do with a laser in school though! Although there are a few cool demonstrations that show you about the properties of light you can do with them, and you can do this with a laser pen. I do think that they would be very fun to show and to see.